Orange stormwater harvesting

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The NSW regional city of Orange located in the central west of the state is about to become the first centre in Australia to harvest stormwater. It will be trapped from around the city, then treated and supplied to local households.[1]

The council hopes that in an average year stormwater will supply 90 per cent of Orange's water.

Residents of Orange (40,000) are currenly on level 5 water restrictions and the main dam is at 38 per cent capacity.

The council looked at a number of options to try to increase the town's water supply and found this the most sustainable and affordable.

Consideration is also being given to provide environmental flows from stormwater storages to downstream rivers, particularly during low rainfall periods.

"I'd be happy to drink it. It wouldn't worry me as long as it was cleaned properly. Not a problem. I drink out of my rainwater tank and it is not filtered so."

"It would be the best think we could ever do because how much rain goes down the drain and it doesn't get used. We could put tanks in the street or anywhere like that. The excess out of the tank will still end up in the creeks or rivers."